Comments on: The Wii is still sold out

Even a year and a half after its release, the Nintendo Wii is still sold out online and is unavailable for purchase from major retailers such as Best Buy and Amazon.

[richleick]

I believe the shortage is created by nintendo. Here's why. A few weeks prior to the release of their hit game Smash Brothers, both Target and Circuit City had Wii's available. Then, on THE day of the release, all the other major retailers (e.g. Best Buy, Target, Wal-Mart, K-Mart) had Wii's. Obviously they can't sell their new game without getting the system in people's hands. Now, they recently released Wii fit and the same thing. All retailers had consoles to go with the Wii fit. Pretty fishy if you ask me.

[XeroComplex]

if you really want a wii call the nearest gamestop evveryday until they get one. I got mine a week like that in february, right after holiday season.

[mdcmje2]

They are available online. amazon.com (my favorite place to buy online; very reputable, good products, good prices) always has them whenever I check although there is a limit of 3 Wii units per purchaser. There are 99 new units available from $328.70 and 25 units from $289.99 as of today. So what am I missing?

[vialins3]

I agree that Nintendo is probably not creating a shortage on purpose. It would not benefit Nintendo to create an artifical shortage because their money maker is not in the sale of the Wii console. They generate the most profit through the licensing and selling of the Wii games. And the only way for more Wii games to be sold is to sell more consoles and gain marketshare while they are still hot.

Also, as a former Electrical Engineer in I.C. product development, it's not so easy to ramp up production because various electronic components comes from different parts of the world and typically gets shipped to other parts of the world (i.e. Southeast Asia, China, Mexico, etc...) for assembly and then potentially elsewhere for packaging. Production at this scale must be a BEAST not to mention distribution of the finished product to USA, Europe and Asia. To increase production without looking at trends over a substantial timeline is to risk overproduction when demand all of a sudden drops.

[Jseg2005]

Unfortunately I do not beleive the wii can still be sold out at this point. The sales numbers don't add up to the number of units nintendo should be able to put out. I got one a year ago when I just happened to walk in while they were lining up for the purchase. Figured I'd snag it and maybe sell it later on... ended up keeping it. If the company can not keep up with demand this far out from launch they are either doing it on purpose or something is seriously wrong with their manufacturing scheme.

[HugeJuan]

I just read in GameInformer Mag. That the reasoning is that the EURO in comparison to the US Dollar. They make more money in currency value selling the units there then here. So its all about money. Also i wouldn't doubt that spreading your profit earnings over several quarters makes your stockholders very happy.

[sbeyda]

IN NEW YORK CITY,
The Nintendo store at 10 Rockerfeller Center (West 48th Mid-block between 5th and 6th Ave) has a daily supply that they sell on a first come first serve basis. Get there early (before lunchtime) and you can be pretty sure that you will get one. Cost is $249.99, and they have a lot of games on display, plus you cal actually PLAY THE WII RIGHT IN THE STORE and also the DS and EVEN TRY OUT THE FIT! You might have to wait on line but the line moves fast and the store associates and helpful and friendly... Hope this helps.
Sammy B

[celestial seraphym]

I honestly don't believe Nintendo is purposefully withholding or producing fewer consoles, but it isn't outside the realm of possibility either. When I got one for my husband last year (in May), I couldn't find one ANYWHERE, not even a bundled system. I tried for several weeks to no avail. We live in a big city, and I tried literally dozens of stores here and in the surrounding areas -- nothing. My trick to finally getting one, however, was looking in a small town. I called up my mother, who lives in a small town 3 hours away, and she checked her local Wal-Mart -- they had 8 in stock!!! I had her snatch it up for me, mail it to me, and I paid her back. My husband was completely shocked & stunned when he opened it up. It wasn't a bundle, either -- just a console, and the price wasn't jacked up. It's not a bad idea to try if you happen to know someone in a small town that can grab one for you...

[JayMonster]

There is no doubt that this is a managed "shortage" Now what the reason is for it, is a whole other story. Is Nintendo really that week from years of going downhill with a failure like the GameCube that they simply need to handle their inventory management this close for cash purposes, or they are simply trying to avoid the risk of going the way of Coleco, where an overwhelming demand eventually meant overstocked inventory and corporate collapse... that it is tough to answer. But they certainly could have found a way to meet demand by now if they really wanted to (and hand the financial wherewithal to do so).

[wiifit]

i have some wii fit to sell
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250255429754&_trksid=p3907.m32&_trkparms=tab%3DSelling

[mwcorg]

We tried to buy a Wii from November 2007 through March of 2008. No one ever had them in stock. Every once in a while BestBuy or ToysRUs would get a small number in (5 or less), which would sell out within an hour. So we gave up. I have traveled to Germany 4 times since the first of the year. They have these consoles everywhere - they are not in any way sold out. I think it is an artificial shortage designed to keep the sales price up in the US. I would have bought one in Germany and brought it back, but with the conversion rate between the Euro and the Dollar is would have cost me around $500 just for the console and one controller...

[Jilldavis]

Go to www.wiitracker.com they have when stores will get wiis online. They have some for $250.

[rainmanva]

I had been looking for one of these for over 6 months, checked everywhere, online and in stores with no luck. however last tuesday by sheer chance, my local walmart had 2 of them. i bought one. i was in there the next day and they were sold out. also picked up mariokart wii. (that was hard to find as well).
i think that nintendo just didnt think the demand for the wii was going to be so high.

[Idigo_raider]

I finally got a Wii at the local Media Markt after spending 3 months (!) searching.... I almost bought a PS3 after 2 months....
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